Construction on the the 618-megawatt advanced technology coal gasification plant began in 2008.

The company says the Knox County operation is one of the cleanest coal-fired power-generating facilities in the world.

The plant uses advanced technology to gasify coal, strip out pollutants, and then burn that cleaner gas to produce electricity. The technology reduces the environmental impact of burning coal to produce electric power.

You shouldn’t just parrot without question what the utility tells you, e.g., “The technology reduces the environmental impact of burning coal to produce electric power.” The most significant environmental impact of burning coal to produce electricity is CO2 emissions that lead to global warming. Coal gasification doesn’t solve that problem! This plant’s going online is an environmental disaster for which our children and grandchildren will suffer.

Grammy Sue

I agree with John Vann- and even if the atmospheric damage that burning coal causes, there is the issue of the coal itself, its cost, and what we get for our money.

There is no place called “away” for pollutants to go, and coal is a
dirty rock. Sulfides, arsenic, selenium and other heavy metals can be in
the rock. Where do all the waste pollutants go after they’re stripped out? Who has to pay for the problem they’re going to create there? And WHY do I have to pay a RIDER on MY electric bill to subsidize both “clean coal” AND a different RIDER for “coal gasification”?

Coal RIDERS on Duke Energy Indiana cost every one of us an extra $0.03 per KWh, which makes Indiana electric rates FAR higher than neighboring systems, all for Coal. There is a Rider for emissions allowance, there is another Rider for environmental compliance, the rider for the oxymoron “clean coal” and the one for coal gassification and another Rider for FUEL Adjustment- that fuel being coal. All told, 3/5 of my electric cost on my bill is for RIDERS

How much actual Indiana coal is burned IN this state, anyway? Are we getting our money’s worth with these RIDERS that make it profitable for Duke Energy to continue burning coal at our expense.

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